(i) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a receptacle, e.g. a bottle and a co-operative carrier therefor, whereby the receptacle and the carrier are a unit. In one embodiment, it relates to a bottle and co-operative bottle carrier and mount for bicycles.
(ii) Description of the Prior Art
Bicycle riding has become very popular for transportation, recreation, and exercise. Like all vigorous physical activities, bicycle riding makes the participant thirsty, and he or she will often want to drink a refreshing beverage. Accordingly, many riders will take a beverage with them on the bicycle, especially if they are going on a long ride. Often, the rider will prefer not to stop to take a drink. In that case, it is desirable that the beverage bottle be readily accessible and convenient to open.
It is accordingly common for one involved in the sport of bicycling to carry a supply of liquid while riding. This supply of liquid is generally contained in a bottle which can be carried on the bicycle by means which is affixed to a portion of the bicycle frame and into which the rider inserts the bottle when not in use.
Bottles and bottle mounts made especially for bicycles are available commercially. There are severally shortcomings and inefficiencies associated with the most commonly used of these bottle and cage devices. One type, the cage mount, is usually a simple wire holder or basket which can be affixed to the bicycle and receive a beverage container. This receptacle cage thus may be a simple wire or plastic cage-like bottle holder which is affixed to the bicycle frame and into which the bottle must be inserted or out of which it must be removed while riding. In some cases, the container fits fairly loosely in the cage and presents a possibility that the container can fall out, especially when the bicycle is accidentally tipped over. The user may not observe that the container has fallen out, and it might be lost. In other cases, the bottle fits tightly within the cage, and although it is not as likely to fall out, it is fairly hard to remove.
Tension of the cage is present but does vary considerably with some cages being so loose as to permit the bottle to fall out as a result of vibration during riding, whereas other cages are so tight that the rider must exert considerable pressure to remove the bottle. Both situations distract the rider from devoting full attention to control of the bicycle and sometimes result in accidents causing serious injury.
The cage, having many contact points with the surface of the bottle, does considerable damage to the exterior finish of the bottle over time as a result of the insertion and removal process. This adds cost due to a higher than necessary bottle replacement frequency. Furthermore, the cage protrudes from each side of the bicycle frame and is often damaged when a bicycle falls over.
Another type of commercially available bottle mount comprises a bracket having a tapered dovetail slot and a bottle having a complementary dovetail rib. This type of holder is even more difficult to use than the cage type, inasmuch as the bottle must be turned about its axis and positioned with the dovetails aligned before it can be slided lengthwise into position. The difficulty of repositioning the bottle after it is used is a serious disadvantage and constitutes somewhat of a hazard to the bicyclist. The dovetail mount does, however, have the advantage of being a relatively small and lightweight form of connection between the bottle and the bicycle, as compared to the somewhat larger, heavier cages.
Another problem area is the actual bottle used within the bottle mount. The bottle is generally a cylindrical container having a wide closure at the top for filling purposes and a smaller closure at the top of this wide closure which is used for drinking from. This smaller closure generally has a seal which is activated by pushing downwards and released by pulling upwards.
The top of the bottle is normally unprotected from the elements and accumulates an amount of dirt, mud, road grease, and other substances which are thrown up by the wheels during riding. These substances enter the body via the mouth when drinking causing an element of risk to rider health.
The seal of the bottle must be opened in order to drink and this is generally accomplished by gripping the seal with the teeth as the rider pulls forward on the bottle. This, in addition to distracting the rider again causes dirt to enter the mouth. The forces exerted on the top during opening and closing of the seal often cause tears in the top of the closure after a period of time.
Capacity of the bottle is generally restricted to two sizes which can be accommodated by the standard cage, these are approximately 600 ml and 800 ml. Riders often carry 2 bottles and sometimes three or four in order to have sufficient fluids to meet their needs. The result of carrying these extra bottles is added weight as well as extremely awkward and sometimes dangerous mounting locations for the second and subsequent bottles.
Location and angle of the drinking spout causes the rider to generally hold the bottle directly in front of the face and angled upwards while drinking. This obstructs the rider's forward view and sometimes results in accidents causing injury.
Insulation added will decrease the bottle's capacity to hold fluids. Insulation added to the outside surface of the bottle is generally of a rubbery compound which causes the bottle to be very difficult to release from and insert into the cage. Because of these problems most riders use the uninsulated bottle and are subjected to warm and unpalatable fluids.
Aerodynamics of the bottle are poor since the bottle is cylindrical having a diameter much larger than the frame tube it is attached to. The cage adds to this aerodynamic disadvantage since it extends outward beyond the bottle. These poor aerodynamics have the effect of adding time to a riders race or trip as well as adding to rider fatigue.
More particularly, in the prior art, a fixture for mounting a water-bottle on a bicycle frame, generally included a fixing member having a fixing means, the fixing member being fixed to the frame and carrying a support member made mainly from metallic wires. The fixing member was fixed to the frame through the fixing means and the water-bottle detachably engages with the support member, thereby being mounted on the frame. The water-bottle was mainly cylindrical and had at the head a faucet covered by a cap, at its head. The bottle was mounted on the cylindrical frame through the fixture in such a way that an increased air resistance was created against the bicycle's running.
During the running of the bicycle, air flows from the front of the frame rearwardly along both sides thereof and then enters into the gaps to cause eddy air currents, the eddy air currents increasing the air resistance as a whole against the bicycle's running. The air resistance will increase in proportion to the running speed of the bicycle to thereby hinder its running at high speed and inducing increased fatigue in a rider.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,721 patented Jun. 7, 1983 by Keizo Shimano provided a water-bottle and a fixture for mounting the water-bottle, in which the fixing member, which had a support member for detachably supporting .the water-bottle, was provided with a pair of skirts in contact with both sides of the water-bottle supported to the support member and with both sides of the bicycle frame carrying the water-bottle, thereby covering recessed gaps produced between the water-bottle and the frame. The skirts closing the recessed gaps formed the external surfaces including both sides of the frame and water-bottle. Hence, a smooth air flow rearward of the bicycle during its running was said to be obtained which was free from the eddy air currents generated by the conventional bicycle water-bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,596 patented Mar. 20, 1989 by W. B. Shook provided a wire bottle cage, which had an open end and a closed or stop end with a back formed of laterally-spaced longitudinally-extending wires with a bumper and guide at the front and a catch and guide at the back. This served to cause the corner, at the bottom of the bottle, to slide along the back wires as it was inserted into or removed from the cage. The patented device also included special mounting means to attach the cage to a cycle bar in such a manner as not to interfere with the sliding action of the bottle on the back wires, and positively to lock the cage in place on the bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,638 patented Apr. 10, 1984 by K. Shimano provided a water-bottle for a bicycle which included a pair of side walls extending longitudinally and vertically from the bicycle. A connecting wall was a continuation of the side walls. The connecting wall included a front surface portion along the bicycle frame having the surface of a circular arc and a rear surface portion facing rearwardly of the bicycle. The body had a thin block-shape. An interval between the outer surfaces of both the side walls became gradually smaller from the front toward the rear and the rear surface portion of the connecting wall was curved in a circular arc with a curvature smaller than that of the bicycle frame. This made the body together with the frame carrying it streamlined. The water-bottle had the body constructed so as to be streamlined together with the frame. The body of a thin blocklike shape enabled the cyclist to drink water from the water-bottle with ease by holding it between his fingers. The water-bottle was detachably mounted on the bicycle frame by use of the above-described fixture.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,077 patented Oct. 1, 1985 by H. Rucher provided a liquid container having a container body provided with an open top. A slot extended through the side wall of the container body, and a liner of liquid absorbing material surrounded the outer surface of the container body and covers the slot. A top cover was removably mounted on the container body in covering relationship to the open top thereof, the top cover having a liquid outlet which the liquid in the container can be removed therefrom. The top cover had a leg depending therefrom which was movable into and out of closing relationship to the slot so that liquid from the container body can be adjustably allowed to pass through the slot from the container body and into contact with the inner surface of the liner. When the ambient air and the container move relative to each other, evaporative cooling occurred which caused the liquid in the container body to be cooled.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,205 patented Nov. 28, 1989 by W. P. Saeleno et al provided an insulated bottle rack apparatus for bicycles having a rack or cage with a bottle receiving area. It included a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, so that the first and second sides tightly held against a bottle disposed therein. A foam rubber sleeve extended around the exterior of the rack for insulating a bottle being held by the rack.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,239 patented May 16, 1989 by G. J. Tackles et al provided a water-bottle cage comprising two mating sections formed of injection molded plastic. The two sectrons defined a bayonet snap assembly which maintained alignment of the two sections, permitted easy pivotal joining and release of the two sections, and locked the two sections upon insertion of a water-bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,227 patented Sep. 18, 1990 by J. Trimble provided a carrier for one or more water-bottles attached to the support rails of a bicycle saddle. A bracket included clamping structure at one end to attach to ends of the support rails. At the other ends the clamping structure had the structure to support one or more water-bottles. The carrier positioned the one or more water-bottles rearwardly of the rider's buttocks and thighs so as to reduce aerodynamic drag while riding.
The art was also faced with the problem of providing means for automatically sealing the container upon placing the bottle in the holder. Automatic such closure devices are also known.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,115,656 patented Nov. 3, 1914 by W. D. Fritschle provided a combined bottle closure and retaining device which included an upright flexible shank and a flexible looped end to which a stopper or cap was secured. The device was mounted on a shelf. When it was desired to place a bottle on the shelf and simultaneously to seal the bottle, it was necessary only to engage the open end of the bottle against the stopper so that the stopper just rose and then returned to a position closing the bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,292,480 patented Jan. 28, 1919 by F. Kessel provided a support for table articles including a condiment holder support comprising a dish-shaped base attached to a resilient bracket carrying a cover. The condiment holders were inserted in the support by depressing the base with the base of the condiment holder, and placing the tip of the condiment holder under the cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,436,515 patented Nov. 21, 1922 by R. B. Mitchell provided a bottle holder which included an upper plate which could be sprung upwardly. A lower plate supported the neck of a bottle. The bottle could not be inserted or removed without upward springing of the upper plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,441,417 patented May 11, 1948 by T. J. Hopkins provided a rack for empty milk bottles in which the milk bottles were supported by means of a series of bottle-holding pins pivotally mounted thereon. The pins extended to an operative position and retracted to an out of the way position when not in use. The support was attachable to a wall at any desired height from the floor.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,710,694 patented Jun. 14, 1955 by R. R. Carr provided a condiment holder and closure for containers which included a shelf member having a rigid core. A foam or sponge rubber strip was secured to the core and was covered by a plastic sheet that would effectively seal and close the open end of a container. That operation retained the container in a sanitary condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,050,584 patented Sep. 27, 1972 by J. L. Lino provided a holder for open containers. The holder included a pair of confronting parallel surfaces, one of which supported a resilient material which was adapted to exert pressure against the open mouth of the container, thereby to seal and hold the container in place.
The art was also faced with the problem of providing a suitable bottle mount. Among the desirable features of such a carrier for a bottle are that it should: hold the bottle more securely; permit fluid consumption with less rider effort; keep the top clean of contaminants; open the drink spout automatically for the rider; re-seal the drink spout automatically for the rider; reduce instances of support fixture damage; eliminate bottle surface damage by the fixture; improve aerodynamics; permit more effective insulation properties; and permit a greater variety of bottle capacity options.
Some patents provided bottle mounts and/or bottles which purported to provide some of such desired characteristics.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,926,828 patented Mar. 1, 1960 by R. Kuddie provided a vacuum bottle holder and rack including a cage having an apertured upper plate brackets for securement beneath the dashboard of an automobile. It also included side webs and lower resilient cushion pads to support the vacuum bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,810 patented Mar. 1, 1977 by W. B. Shooh provided a cage for receiving and holding a water bottle which can be readily attached to a bicycle frame or the like. It consisted of a single piece of resilient wire bent to form the cage with a solderless, weldfree connection for the joint at the adjacent ends of the wire. This connection, along with a special mounting means, was also to provide a less abrasive protective surface in the form of bumper tubes for frictionally engaging and gripping the bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,250 patented May 9, 1978 by D. J. Shaefer Provided an insulating carrier for containers, including a receptacle adapted to receive and enclose a container holding hot or cold contents to be kept at substantially a desired temperature for an extended length of time. The receptacle included a generally cup-shaped open-topped body formed from insulating foam plastic material and providing an upwardly opening container-receiving chamber. An external, generally-radially-extending and axially-elongated lug handle on the receptacle body was adapted for assembly of an adaptor for mounting the carrier on a support. The adaptor included a body portion for engaging the lug handle of the receptacle, and had means for securing the adaptor to the receptacle body and means for attaching the adaptor to a support on which the carrier is to be mounted. A neck on the upper end of the receptacle body projected upwardly above the upper end of the lug handle. An insulating cover for closing the open top of the body had a skirt flange for retaining engagement with the neck. When removed from the top of the receptacle body, the cap was adapted to be engaged for safekeeping or as a coaster with the bottom of the receptacle body.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,525 patented Mar. 18, 1980 by G. L. Sommers provided a small personal size carrier for containing and insulating elongated beverage containers against ambient heat transfer relative thereto. The carrier comprised loosely telescopingly related inner and outer cylindrical shells defining an annular space between the opposing outer and inner surfaces thereof and the shells have radially registered substantially rectangular openings formed through corresponding wall portions thereof intermediate the opposite ends of the shells and with the openings oriented longitudinally of the shells. One of the shells included generally radially projecting integral flanges extending about the corresponding opening and at least substantially bridging the radial spacing between the aforementioned wall portions. The inner and outer shells included spaced end and closure walls, respectively, closing the opposite ends thereof and foam insulation is disposed between the opposing outer and inner surfaces of the shells and end and closure walls. A heat insulative partial cylindrical door was hingedly supported from the carrier and was swingable between open and closed positions providing unobstructed access through and closing, respectively, the aforementioned openings.
A bottle and bottle mount was provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,704 patented Aug. 24, 1982 by M. S. Boughton. This mount had a ring for connecting it to a frame tube or handlebars of the bicycle and a curved plate. One element of a hook and loop cloth fastener was affixed to the concave surface. The bottle included a receptacle having an outer surface that was complementary throughout its circumferential extent to the concave surface of a mount. The other element of the hook and loop cloth fastener was affixed to the complementary outer surface of the receptacle. The receptacle has an opening that receives a removable cap.